Illuminating mechanism



n. w. SCHAEFFER. I ILLUMINATIYNG MECHANISM.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN-31, I921- 1,42 838, Patented July 4, 1922.

ATTOIDVEYJ PATENT QFPFEQE.

DON SCI-IAEFFER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

ILLUMINATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1922.

Application filed January 31, 1921. Serial No. 441,136.

T 0 all iii/1 am it may concern:

Be it known that I, Don W. SOHAEFFER, a citizen of the United Statearesiding at Dayton. in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My .invention relates to illuminating mechanism, and in particular to headlights for automotive equipment.

The object of my invention'is to provide a mechanism which may be applied to an existing headlight on an automobile or other automotive vehicle or may be built in to the headlight as originally constructed.

' It is an object of my invention to provide an adjustable mechanism for deflecting the light or permitting the rays to travel normally at the will of the operator.

. t is the particular object of invention to provide a means of deflecting the rays downwardly in front of the machine and to, at the same time, prevent any direct reflection of the rays from the reflector directly into the face of operators of other vehicles or pedestrians.

It is my object to project the rays by reflection to a point approximately 50 feet in. front of the machine where the illumination will serve the driver of the automotive vehicle but will not interfere with the vision of others. It ismy object to provide a lamp with which the light will be deflected and reflected in parallel rays to a point in front of the machine. In some types of equipment the light is either diffused or is deflected downwardly directly in front of the machine. My invention accomplishes the result of placing the light where it is most needed in front of the machine. also accomplishes the object of illuminating that portion of the ground before the vehicle with the same type of parallel rays that would be projected if the light were not thus reflected. There is no loss, therefore, of light by my system of projection.

My invention has obviated these difficulties.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1., is a section through the complete lamp and deflecting equipment with the deflecting slats in their closed position;

Fig. 2, is a front elevation of the lamp with the deflecting slats in their open position so that the rays will be directed norreally from the reflector and lamp; and,

Fig. 3, is a diagram showing graphically the formula on which these shutters are laid out.

Referring to'the drawings, 1 is the usual housing of an electric lamp, 2 is the re flector, and 8 the source of illumination. To the housing 1 is attached at 5 a supplementary casing, the usual lens or glass having been removed. This supplementary casing consists of a cylindrical wall 6, a cover 1 supporting a glass face 8. At the top of the lamp is a shade 9. Within the casing is a deflector 10 to prevent the exit directly of any rays from the top of the reflector, and also to deflect reflected rays. 1111 are a plurality of slats or deflecting surfaces pivoted at 1212 and united to one another by adjustable vertical members 13 adjustable by a set screw 14 working in the slot The members 11 are pivoted to 13 at 16. The bottom of 13 is connected at 17 to a Bowden wire 18 traveling in a casing 19 and actuated by a handle 20, usually located on the dash board of the vehicle.

It will be apparent that the light has its course changed three times. It starts at the source of illumination 3, is reflected by the reflector 2 at 21, is deflected at 22, and is reflected again at 23. Another ray of light starts at 3, is reflected at 241-, is deflected at 25, reflected at 26 and passes outwardly and downwardly parallel to the first mentioned ray. This occurs with the other rays of light from the source of illumination 3. It will be apparent that when the shutters 11 are in their position shown in Figure 1 that no rays escape directly but must have this triple reflection, with the result that the rays which would normally make their exit from the lamp parallel to one another, make their exit from this particular lamp parallel to one another but downwardly in front of the machine about fifty feet away.

In order to determine any desired position, I proceed as follows: I locate 10 at any given desired angle and name this angle Y. I take the height of the lamp from the ground at h. I assume the horizontal length of the deflected ray as (Z. By the formula 2 tan x,

I discover the angle of deflection from the horizontal which I desire to use.

The diagram in Figure 3 illustrates graphically the application of my formula. I then roceed to the adjustment of the topmost shit or shutter 11. Its angle A is y plus 3 as I desire to locate 11 at a position which is the fixed angle of 10 plus onehalf of the angle of deflection from 'the horizontal.

For the next succeeding shutter below I fix its angle 1) at y plus av. Its rays will thus pass out parallel to the rays from the first shutter.

The next succeeding shutter has its angle 0 equal to y plus The last shutter or slat will have its anagle (l fixed at 3 plus 2w.

It will be understood that fifty feet before the machine is the approximate position of the light and that by my system of laying out these Meeting or reflecting slats or shutters, -I can locate tihe maximum area of iliumination at such point as I may desire through this deflection oil the rays from the horizontal. The adjustable features shown at 1-4 and 15 pennit of the relative positionm of these shirtteis.

W' hile I have shown and described certain features as constituting my invention, it will be understood that parts have been shown ier of illustration only, and that within 'the scope of the following claims I do not desire to be limited to such details, as obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a headlight hav- 519g a mflectm' and a source of illumination, of a series of deflecting and reflecting lates pivotally mounted at one edge forwardly of the source of illumination and arranged in spaced relation, extensible means connecting each plate to adjacent plates to permit the free edges of the plates to be adjusted relatively to one another, a stationary deflecting plate arranged above the series of pivoted plates for constantly directing a portion of the light rays downwardly, and operating means associated with said plates and extending from the same to permit said pivoted plates to be simultaneously swung about their ivot from a distance.

2. he combination with a headlight having a reflector and a source of illumination, of a casing arranged forwardly of said refi'edtor and having a stationary angularly arranged deflecting plate located within the casing at its upper portion, a series of spaced angularly arranged light deflecting and reflecting plates pivotally mounted within said casin extensible links having their ends pivotally connected to said pivoted plates, said pivoted plates being disposed at angles to the horizontal successively increasing'dewnwardly, and an operating means extending from said casing and connected to one of said pivoted plates to permit simultatreous swinging of said pivoted plates from a distance.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

DON W. SCHAEFFER. 

